Abstract
Due to an accidental release of transuranics at Palomares, Almeria (Spain), an area of 2.3 km2 was contaminated (1,2,3). With the objective of studying the possible transfer of the transuranic from land to sea (4), a sampling network for marine sediments and sea water was established between Cape Palos and Cape Gata. Concentrations of plutonium, americium and radiocesium were determined in sediment cores taken from the sea shelf surrounding Palomares. The depositional history of sediments was elucidated using the unsupported210Pb method. An increase in transuranic concentrations was observed off the southern coast of Palomares, the sources of which are discussed in this paper.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E. IRANZO, M. E. IRANZO, A. ESPINOSA, M. MINGARRO, Health Phys., 52 (1987) 453.
E. IRANZO, M. E. IRANZO, A. ESPINOSA, M. MINGARRO, in: Cycling of Long-Lived Radionuclides in the Biosphere. Observations and Models 2, CIEMAT, Madrid, 1987.
E. IRANZO, M. E. IRANZO, A. ESPINOSA, Impact des Accidents d'Origine Nucleaire sur l'Environment, Vol. 2, Cadarche, France, 1988.
E. IRANZO, L. ROMERO, C. GASCO, Rapp. Comm. Int. Mer Medit., 31 (1988) 245.5 R.W. PERKINS, C. W. THOMAS, in: Transuranic Elements in the Environment, W. C. HANSON (Ed.), USA, 1980.
E. P. HARDY, Nature 241 (1972) 444.
S. A. HARLEY, J. Radiation Res., 21 (1980) 83.
A. AAKROG, IAEA-TECDOC, 481 (1988) 103.
H. D. LIVINGSTON, V. T. BOWEN, J. C. BURKE, in: Fallout Radionuclides in Medditerranean Sediments, C. I. E. S. M., Split, Yugoslavia, 1976.
R. FUKAI, S. BALLESTRA, M. THEIN, in: Proc. of a Technical Committee Meeting on the Behavior of Transuranides in the Aquatic Environment and Sediment Water Exchanges, IAEA, Ispra, Italy, 1980.
C. N. MURRAY, R. FUKAI, Estuarine and Coastal Mar. Sci., 6 (1978) 145.
R. FUKAI, E. HOLM, S. BALLESTRA, Oceanol. Acta, 2 (1979) 129.
N. E. WHITEHEAD, IAEA-TECDOC, 481 (1988) 51.
C. PAPUCCI, R. DELFANTI, Acqua Aria, 6 (1986) 13.
D. JENNINGS, C. PAPUCCI, R. DELFANTI, J. Environ. Radioactivity, 2 (1985) 293.
K. M. WONG, Anal. Chim. Acta, 56 (1971) 355.
E. HOLM, F. FUKAI, S. BALLESTRA, Talanta, 26 (1979) 791.
N. A. TALVITIE, Anal. Chem., 44 (1972) 280.
F. OLDFIELD, P. APPLEBY, Empirical Testing of210Pb Dating Models for Lake Sediment, Lake Sediments and Environmental History, Leicester Univ. Press, Lund, 1984.
P. G. APPLEBY, F. OLDFIELD, Catena, 5 (1978) 1.
E. IRANZO, C. GASCO, L. ROMERO, CIEMAT CEE, 3 (1989) 9.
J. A. HETHERINGTON, N. T. MITCHELL, R. J. PENTRAETH, D. W. WOODHEAD, in: Transuranium Nuclides in the Environment, IAEA-SM-199, IAEA, Vienna, 1976.
V. E. NOSHKIN, in: Transuranic Elements in the Environment, W. C. HANSON (Ed.), USA, 1980.
E. K. DUURSMA, P. PARSI, in: Activities of the International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity, IAEA-163, IAEA, Vienna, 1974.
J. A. HETHERINGTON, in: Radioisotopes in the Aquatic Environment: Models and Mechanism, Ann Arbor. Sci., Michigan, 1975.
J. A. HETHERINGTON, D. F. JEFFER, Neth. J. Sea Res., 8 (1974) 319.
J. A. HETHERINGTON, D. F. JEFFER, Mar. Sci. Commun., 4 (1978) 239.
V. E. NOSHKIN, Health Phys., 22 (1972) 537.
E. L. JAMAR, Inf. Tec. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr., (1987) 1.
A. AARKROG, Health Phys., 20 (1971) 31.
A. AARKROG, Health Phys., 32 (1977) 271.
A. AARKROG, Health Phys., 32 (1977) 271.
A. AARKROG, in: Proc. of the Third NEA Seminar on Marine Radioecology, Riso National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark, 1979.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gasco, C., Iranzo, E. & Romero, L. Transuranics transfer in a Spanish marine ecosystem. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 156, 151–163 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02037430
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02037430